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Still hot...

The Fancy One | Westchester County, NY | 05/29/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"HOT ON THE TRACKS was the Commodores' fourth LP release, and the funk continued to flow from the pens and the instruments of Motown's most successful act of the 1970s. By now they had hit their stride, and at the time, there was no end in sight for this sextet of brothas from Alabama and no sign of them trying to cross over to gain pop appeal. Cut after cut on this CD contains tight dance jams, and funk with a mellow touch...prime examples are the two big hits from this album, "Fancy Dancer", a ridiculously funky R&B Top Ten single and one of Lionel Richie/Ronald LaPread's nastiest compositions - and the classic slow jam with a futuristic sound (courtesy of Milan Williams), "Just To Be Close To You", a #1 R&B smash in 1976. But the "fillers" (if you want to call them that) are all top-notch as well. "Let's Get Started" is a perfect opener, a hot party jam, and incidentally, the song the Commodores used to open their concerts with back in the day. "Girl I Think The World About You", a Richie collaboration with fellow Commodore Thomas McClary, is a soulful ballad with sweet words, but the funk is right in your face, so it never gets the chance to get mushy. "High On Sunshine" cools it down just a notch...it's a mellow slice of R&B about just enjoying life and not letting everyday things get you down. The funk comes back at you with "Come Inside", "Thumpin' Music", the P-Funk-like "Quick Draw" (this song is a lot of fun...we get to hear the Commodores' "alter egos" here) and "Can't Let You Tease Me". Any one of these songs could have been released as a single and they would have done well on the charts.HOT ON THE TRACKS placed the Commodores on the brink of superstardom (they completely blew up a year later, in '77 when they became a crossover act) and this is one of their very best albums. With funk, soul and rock mixed together, it is a purchase worthy of your collection...this classic group in tact, and in their prime.Get it and get funky!"

The Commodors Funk Pinnacle!

Andre' S Grindle | Bangor,ME. | 07/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Commodores peaked on 'Hot On The Tracks',not just in terms of the groove but as songwriters.The midtempo "Girl I Think The World About You" is Lionel Riche's finest song with the band,bar none!"High On Sunshine" doesn't leave that territory while the rolling "Let's Get Started",the sly "Captain Quickdraw" and the catchy "Come Inside" are three of the best uptempo funk tunes they ever made!The only thing keeping this from being The Commodores best album is it's relative unavailability;it's uneven self-titled follow up is the only album from this era available on CD right now.Even "Just To Be Close To You" isn't one of Riche's most annoying ballads!So however arduous the search for 'Hot On The Tracks' will be a highly rewarding one!"